Transparent network service header path proxies

1. A method comprising:

at a controller that is in communication with a plurality of network nodes, wherein each of the plurality of network nodes is associated with one or more service functions;

establishing a service path for a service chain defined by an ordered sequence of one or more service functions to be performed at respective ones of one or more of the plurality of network nodes associated with the one or more service functions, wherein the service chain comprises one or more service segments that include one or more of the network nodes of the service path capable of decapsulating packets of traffic to extract a network service header including service chain forwarding information instructing how packets are to be forwarded through the service chain and contextual service path information for the service chain forwarding information, and one or more service segments that include one or more of the network nodes of the service path not capable of decapsulating packets to extract the network service header; and

assigning a predetermined service path identifier and a predetermined service index value to the one or more service segments that include one or more of the network nodes of the service path not capable of decapsulating packets to extract the network service header so as to designate each of the one or more service segments that include one or more of the network nodes of the service path not capable of decapsulating packets to extract the network service header as a single hop service segment in the service chain.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein assigning comprises assigning separate service path identifiers and service index values to each service segment of the service chain.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein each service segment includes one or more of the network nodes capable of decapsulating packets to extract the network service header.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising sending from the controller to each network node in the service chain the service path identifier and service index value relevant to the corresponding service segment of the service chain.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the service path identifier is set to a value assigned by the controller for each of the one or more service segments that include one or more of the network nodes of the service path capable of decapsulating packets of traffic to extract a network service header.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the predetermined service path identifier is set to a predetermined reserved value for each service segment that includes one or more of the network nodes of the service path not capable of decapsulating packets to extract the network service header.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the predetermined service index value is 1 for each service segment that includes one or more of the network nodes of the service path not capable of decapsulating packets to extract the network service header.

8. The method of claim 2 , wherein the service index value for each service segment of the service chain that includes one or more of the network nodes capable of decapsulating packets to extract the network service header is dependent on a number of network nodes in the segment.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising detecting at the controller the one or more network nodes that are not capable of decapsulating packets to extract the network service header.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of network nodes are physical or virtual network elements.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a network interface unit that sends and receives network communications over a network; and

a processor coupled to the network interface unit, that:

establishes a service path for a service chain defined by an ordered sequence of one or more service functions to be performed at respective ones of one or more of a plurality of network nodes associated with the one or more service functions, wherein the service chain comprises one or more service segments that include one or more of the network nodes of the service path capable of decapsulating packets of traffic to extract a network service header including service chain forwarding information instructing how packets are to be forwarded through the service chain and contextual service path information for the service chain forwarding information, and one or more service segments that include one or more of the network nodes of the service path not capable of decapsulating packets to extract the network service header; and

assigns a predetermined service path identifier and a predetermined service index value to the one or more service segments that include one or more of the network nodes of the service path not capable of decapsulating packets to extract the network service header so as to designate each of the one or more service segments that include one or more of the network nodes not capable of decapsulating packets to extract the network service header as a single hop service segment in the service chain.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the processor assigns separate service path identifiers and service index values to each service segment of the service chain.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein each service segment includes one or more network nodes capable of decapsulating packets to extract the network service header.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the processor causes to be sent to each network node in the service chain the service path identifier and service index value relevant to the corresponding service segment of the service chain.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the processor sets the service path identifier to a value for each of the one or more service segments that include one or more of the network nodes of the service path capable of decapsulating packets to extract the network service header information.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the predetermined service path identifier is set to a predetermined reserved value for each of the one or more service segments that includes one or more of the network nodes not capable of decapsulating packets to extract the network service header.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the predetermined service index value is 1 for each of the one or more service segments that includes one or more of the network nodes not capable of decapsulating packets to extract the network service header.

18. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the service index value for each of the one or more service segments that include one or more of the network nodes capable of decapsulating packets to extract the network service header is dependent on a number of network nodes in the service segment.

19. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the processor detects the one or more network nodes that are not capable of decapsulating packets to extract the network service header.

20. One or more non-transitory computer readable storage media encoded with instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor perform operations comprising:

at a controller that is in communication with a plurality of network nodes, wherein each of the plurality of network nodes is associated with one or more service functions;

establishing a service path for a service chain defined by an ordered sequence of one or more service functions to be performed at respective ones of one or more of the plurality of network nodes associated with the one or more service functions, wherein the service chain comprises one or more service segments that include one or more of the network nodes of the service path capable of decapsulating packets of traffic to extract a network service header including service chain forwarding information instructing how packets are to be forwarded through the service chain and contextual service path information for the service chain forwarding information, and one or more service segments that include one or more of the network nodes of the service path not capable of decapsulating packets to extract the network service header; and

assigning a predetermined service path identifier and a predetermined service index value for the one or more service segments that include one or more of the network nodes not capable of decapsulating packets to extract the network service header so as to designate the one or more service segments that include one or more of the network nodes not capable of decapsulating packets to extract the network service header as a single hop service segment in the service chain.

21. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 20 , wherein the instructions operable to cause the processor to perform the operation of assigning comprise instructions operable to assign separate service path identifiers and service index values to each service segment of the service chain.

22. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 21 , further comprising instructions that cause the processor to send to each network node in the service chain the service path identifier and service index value relevant to the corresponding service segment of the service chain.

23. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 21 , wherein the predetermined service path identifier is set to a predetermined reserved value for each of the one or more service segments that include one or more of the network nodes not capable of decapsulating packets to extract the network service header.

24. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 23 , wherein the predetermined service index value is 1 for each of the one or more service segments that include one or more of the network nodes not capable of decapsulating packets to extract the network service header.

25. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 21 , wherein the service index value for each of the one or more service segments that include one or more of the network nodes capable of decapsulating packets to extract the network service header is dependent on a number of network nodes in the service segment.

26. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 20 , further comprising instructions operable to cause the processor to detect the one or more network nodes that are not capable of decapsulating packets to extract the network service header.